Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 2025).

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Saturday, December 15, 2018

SSBB - Christmas @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - Friday, Dec. 14.

(Review by Lance).
As becomes the season it was party time and bells were jingled all the way on the opener. Yes, Jingle Bells, like you've never heard it played before - at least not since last Christmas (when F'reez gave us his heart more of which later). When the saxes stood up as a section the partygoers behind us erupted as if it were The Beatles at Shea Stadium.

Pete and Mark exchanging choruses rather than Christmas cards on Cole Porter's I Love You produced more 'oohs' and 'ahs' from the revellers. Not as many, however, as Alice did when she emerged from the wings in a shimmering, glittery, sparkly, figure-hugging green dress to sing Fascinating Rhythm - fascinating indeed!


Evenin' sang F'reez after 'Doc' Summers had blown an oriental blues intro. We skipped a few months to arrive at Paris in April and the old Basie/Wild Bill Davis arrangement is always worth hearing one more time.

Knarf, from the Maynard Ferguson library, originally written for American baritone saxist Frank Hittner and not, as I first thought, for Mr. Artanis, featured Robinson on alto and leader Lamb on trumpet. The band sounded great and the piano was playable this year as Graham Don proved throughout the evening.

Alice Grace is never less than outstanding as I've said, time after time and that is what she sang when making her second appearance - Time After Time. Also outstanding was Matt Forster on tenor. Matt now seems to be a regular member of SSBB.

A Christmassy Joy to the World by the band before F'reez returned to sing They Can't Take That Away From me - one of the all-time great songs by George Gershwin (much better than Summertime!)

I've Got Christmas saw Robinson and Summers having an alto joust before the appropriately named F'reez closed the set with Winter Weather and I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm. Graham Don kept the piano warm with some tasty chords.

A pint of Anarchy went down well which might explain why my notes from the second set are semi-undecipherable (well it was Christmas - your honour).

We Three Kings, in this case, Jamie Toms, Graham Don and Pete Tanton were the crowned heads whilst down front in the posh end the hoi polloi descended from above for some not so soft shoe shufflin'. 

This second set was totally seasonal so we had Carol of the Bells (Hi Carol); Midnight Prayer (a number Alice picked up from Polly Gibbons when she appeared with the band); Ding Dong Merrily on High (PJ & SS); F'reez and Alice went walking in a Winter Wonderland; This Christmas (F'reez); Santa Baby - my favourite Christmas song, particularly when sung by Alice who, now in a shorter, red, off the shoulder number, outsexed Eartha Kitt in her interpretation. Matt Forster soloed.
Sleigh Ride was a roller coaster ride before F'reez and Alice duetted on the other's fickleness in Last Christmas. That was the end 'cept, of course, it wasn't! Christmas Song and Fairy Tale of New York being the response to the cries of 'More!'

This band sets an increasingly higher bar with each gig and they will do it all again tonight - if you can find a ticket scalper!
Lance.
PS: Forgot to mention the tenor battle between Toms and Forster that made the recent Wilder/Fury fight seem like handbags at dawn.

Michael Lamb (MD), Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); John Flood Kieran Parnaby, Chris Gray, Mark Ferris (trombones); Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Jamie Toms, Matt Forster, Laurie Rangecroft (reeds); Graham Don (piano); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton ((drums); Alice Grace, F'reez (vocals).

No comments :

Blog Archive